Strong recommendations to arrest dramatic declines in koala numbers across Australia are at the heart of a Senate inquiry report tabled in parliament today, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said.
“I referred the problems facing koalas to a Senate inquiry because experts told me we were fast approaching a crisis point,” Senator Brown said in Canberra.
“The inquiry heard from carers, scientists and advocates across the country and their message was consistent and urgent: koala numbers everywhere, except the introduced populations in Victoria and South Australia, are in freefall.”
“The Senate report recognises that we have to act now before this iconic species is added to the endangered list. As it is, there is a strong case for the Minister to list the koala as vulnerable to extinction.”
“The committee has recognised that habitat loss continues to be the biggest threat to koala populations and has recommended changes to halt this loss, as well as improvements to funding and operation of habitat mapping and population monitoring,” Senator Brown said.
The recommendations include:
• more assistance for research into diversity of koalas and diseases such as the koala retrovirus and Chlamydia;
• a review of the listing advice to the Minister from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee;
• research and action on the impact of wild dogs on koalas;
• changes to road rules, including speed limits, and overpasses or underpasses to better protect koalas; and
• establishing a program for population monitoring of threatened species and other culturally, evolutionary and/or economically significant species.
